1981 changes to book of mormon

The purpose of this article is to analyse some of the word changes made in the book of mormon during the three major editions printed during the lifetime of the prophet joseph smith. On july 11, 20, i was surprised to get an email from a community of christ colleague informing me that the smithpettit foundation was publishing john s. Jul 01, 2011 however, there are numerous other changes which affect the doctrinal teachings of the book of mormon. It carried a small story on a change to a single word in the introduction of the book of mormon in the recent doubleday edition. Aug 14, 2012 book of mormon student manual religion 121122 by, 1981, church of jesus christ of latterday saints edition, 2nd ed. Janet jenson, variations between copies of the first edition of the book of mormon, byu studies winter 1973.

Another testament of jesus christ an account written by the hand of mormon, upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. The original 1830 edition, book of mormon had s of. Rust, richard dilworth, the book of mormon, designed for our day. Dec, 2017 while looking at where the church was in 1981 highlights significant progress, there is still much progress to be made. While not directly explaining the title page of the book of mormon, rust nevertheless uses it as a prompt to discuss other topics. Introduction to 3,9 changes in the book of mormon pdf version. The first critical text of the book of mormon was published by the foundation for.

Changes in the book of mormon introduction juvenile. Many of the changes change the meaning entirely as well as doctrine. The prophet joseph smith said, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was. Heres what byu newsnet now known as universe had to say about the changes. Yes, president young did teach that adam was the father of our spirits, and all the related things that the cultists ascribe to him. Church removes racial references in book of mormon. To understand why some words were altered, reference will be made to the original and the printers manuscripts. Introductory pages of the book of mormon book of mormon central. Book of mormon editions 18301981 the encyclopedia of. Book of mormon 1981 wikisource, the free online library. A oneword change in the introduction to a 2006 edition of the book of. Lds leaders reinserted the omitted words into all editions since 1981.

Textual variations in the supplemental text of the book of. A valuable new analysis of the many types of changes in the text of the book of mormon is brian c. Joseph originally taught that jesus and the father were the same. Using the first three editions of the book of mormon along with these transcripts, scholars now have all the available information for studying the text of the book of mormon. The book of mormon a comparison with the 1830 ed and the.

Dingers significant textual changes in the book of mormon. When was another testament of christ added to the book of. James wardle, selected changes in the book of mormon salt lake city. For example, consider the word sins, which had been spelled synnes and became sinnes in the 1611 king james version. Replicas of the 1830 book of mormon are easily obtained on, and the text is freely available online. In 1981 the lds church published a new edition of the book of mormon, making a number of additional changes in the text. Book of mormon 1981 for other versions of this work, see book of mormon. The churchs scripture committee is responsible for overseeing the editing process. It is my testimony that the book of mormon changes lives. Sep 23, 2008 the 1981 edition is also the edition which has been most read by mormons and nonmormons, especially since president bensons push to flood the earth or at least, thrift store bookshelves with the book of mormon.

Hales reminds us that the tanners and others have been deceptive in their treatment of the minor changes and corrections that have been made, creating the. The approach will be to discuss the type of change. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Interestingly, the spelling problems in the book of mormon paralleled earlier kinds of spelling changes in the english bible. For this edition, hundreds of grammatical changes and a few emendations were made in the text. Chapters in the 1830 edition were longer, in part because the book of mormon was printed in narrative rather than verse formwhat we would expect from a historical record. Book of mormon introduction change may reflect new thinking. Two major goals of each published edition of the book of mormon have been 1 to faithfully reproduce the text. And may we joyfully share our testimonies of its precious promises with all of gods children. As recent as 1981 mormon leaders have made approximately 200 more word changes. This publication is intended for scholars of all faiths and persuasions, lds, rlds and all others interested in the text. Since the 1837 version, the church has published five additional major editions of the book of mormon, all of which included slight changes to improve the clarity of the text. The quality of the typeface is no longer as clear and sharp as it should be.

Mar 17, 20 the church of jesus christ of latterday saints released this week the most significant changes to its scripture since 1981. Racism the church made changes to the book of mormon to soften its racism. Changes in the book of mormon joseph smith said that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book history of the church, vol. Changes in the book of mormon, ensign dec 1983, 2428. The text was restored in the 1981 edition of the book of mormon. The 1981 was probably made out of deference to that change that they. Joseph smith said that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book, history of the church, vol.

An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates. Understanding the process of publishing the book of mormon. Many of you already know that the book of mormon is true, that joseph smith is indeed a prophet, and that this is the true church of jesus. The introduction to the book of mormon the church of. Hales, changing critics criticisms of book of mormon changes, interpreter. We have not tried to show capitalization or punctuation changes in this study. Book of mormon numerology rational faiths mormon blog. This work was published before january 1, 1924, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to. Tragically this is the reality and significance of the change made in the book of mormon. The book of mormon appears to do this very thing in at least three instances. And it is impossible not to reference the pain and trauma that have followed the policy changes of november 2015. Top 40 inspirational book of mormon scriptures the lifey app. Jun 18, 2019 the text of this version is of the lds 1981 edition.

Editions 18301981 the book of mormon critical text project. May 14, 20 what may interest you is that there are twenty distinct editions of the book of mormon beginning with the first printing in 1830, and culminating with the current edition, first set and printed in 1981. Instead of being the principal ancestors of american indians, lamanites are nowamong the ancestors of the american indians. This is the first published text of the book of mormon to show the precise history of many textual variants. Skousen, editor of a 2009 yale edition of the book of mormon, sees the heading changes as a nod to contemporary readers. Mcconkie wrote the introduction in 1981 for the then new edition of the book of mormon and it contained this statement. Joseph smith translated the book of mormon into english through the.

This guide no longer represents the official views of the lds church. Much has been said recently about changes and modifications in this record but, unfortunately, most of it has been said by those who have been unfriendly toward both the book itself and the church which endorses it. Changes to latterday scripture lds leaders have made. In reality, though, the kind of stylistic accuracy achieved by these changes has little to do with what joseph meant when he called the book of mormon the most correct of any book on earth. My introduction to the book of mormon or the book of mormon evidences page could also be consulted. How far has the mormon church come on homosexuality since 1981. Some of the revelations that appear in the doctrine and covenants have had hundreds of words added to them. The idea that the church has somehow hidden the original text or manuscripts of the book of mormon in order to hide this is simply unbelievable.

Lds officials dont want readers to focus on the kind of overt statements about race that were in mcconkies 1981 summaries, he said. Book of mormontextual changeswhite changed to pure. How far has the mormon church come on homosexuality since. The original 1830 edition, book of mormon had s of errors. Types of changes in the book of mormon text the following statistics are derived from my computerized collation of the two manuscripts of the book of mormon the original and the printers manuscripts and 20 standard page 173 editions of the book of mormon fifteen lds editions, from 1830 to 1981, the 1858 wright edition, and four rlds. God, after the manner of the flesh and he said unto me. Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the son of god, after the manner of the flesh. Debate renewed with change in book of mormon introduction. Single word change in book of mormon speaks volumes the salt. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints, 1981, the book of mormon.

Nathan richardson textual variations in the supplemental text of the book of mormon 2 other changes royal skousen tipped me off to some other changes. Book of mormon introduction change may reflect new thinking about an ancient people. Not many of us have the 1920 edition at hand or earlier versions. Although there have been thousands of changes made in the book of mormon, the changes made in some of the other mormon books are of a more serious nature. Designed for multiple use as study guides, handouts, and masters for creating projectable images, the charts convey a wealth of information that will enrich personal study and. Background the current printing masters of the 1979 edition of the king james version of the bible and the 1981 edition of the book of mormon, doctrine and covenants, and pearl of great price have deteriorated because of age and long use. They research corrections brought to their attention and then make recommendations. Book of mormontransmission from translator to printed. Types of changes in the book of mormon text the following statistics are derived from my computerized collation of the two manuscripts of the book of mormon the original and the printers manuscripts and 20 standard page 173 editions of the book of mormon fifteen lds editions, from 1830 to 1981, the 1858 wright edition, and four rlds editions, from 1874 to 1953. One word can speak volumes says this mornings salt lake tribune. Presenting the maxwell institute study edition of the book. Book of mormontransmission from translator to printed text.

It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. Other studies and articles before and after the 1981 edition include. The book 3,9 changes in the book of mormon is a reproduction of an original book of mormon with the changes marked, and is available through us. Introductory pages of the book of mormon book of mormon. For a discussion concerning differences between the original manuscript and the printers edition, see the original book of mormon transcript, in reexploring the book of mormon, ed.

This page contains comments from the following authors. There also have been many important changes in the pearl of great price. Changes in the book of mormon is mormonism christian. When the church of jesus christ of latterday saints issued a new edition of the book of mormon in 1981, a change was made to the text of 2 nephi 30. Book of mormon textual changes white changed to pure book of. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. An example of how the editing still does not go far enough may be found in helaman 7. The books current introduction, added by the late lds apostle, bruce r. The differences in the chapter divisions between the first edition of the book of mormon and the 1981 edition are listed in this fourpage chart. And, most recently, the 1981 edition was prepared under the supervision of the scriptures publication. Hagoth and his shipbuilding accomplishments are briefly described in the book of alma in the book of mormon. If gods power xvii was really involved in the translation process. Textual changes to the book of mormon in 1837 and 1840 by stan larson, sunstone, fall 1976, pp.

In 1981 the lds church published a new edition of the book of mormon, making a number of additional. Book of mormontextual changeswords missing in alma 32. Book of mormon 1981mormon wikisource, the free online. Dec 20, 2010 skousen, editor of a 2009 yale edition of the book of mormon, sees the heading changes as a nod to contemporary readers. Who wrote the 1981 introduction to the book of mormon. This change was originally made in the 1840 edition but because subsequent editions were based off the european editions which followed the 1837 edition, the change did not get perpetuated until the preparation of the 1981. In fact, joseph smith once remarked that the title page of the book of mormon is a literal translation, taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the plates of mormon. Key passages on deity in the original 1830 text of the book of mormon were changed in the 1837 edition to reflect joseph smiths changing doctrine of deity. Early in the book of mormon, the lehite tribes are numbered at seven, consisting of the nephites, jacobites, josephites, zoramites, lamanites, lemuelites, and ishmaelites. The goal of textual accuracy has led later editors to earlier editions and, when available, to the original and printers manuscripts see manuscripts of the book of mormon.

A critical text of the book of mormon was published in 19841987 by the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies. Jerald and sandra tanner have counted 39 changes in the book of mormon, excluding punctuation changes. The original phrase and the changes are noted in red and bold for emphasis in the introduction to the book of mormon the second paragraph reads. Book of mormon introduction change may reflect new. The title page to the 1830 edition of the book of mormon as well as the testimony of eight witnesses, claimed joseph smith as, author and proprietor. The first printed edition compared to the manuscripts and to the subsequent major lds english printed editions and that there was to be. The questionable introduction was published in the 1981 edition and written by none other than bruce mcconkie himself. Since its first publication in 1830, the book of moron has undergone thousands of changes.

Now, however, the 1981 edition of the book of mormon has made it obsolete, for it has over two hundred additional changes. Understanding the nature of the thousands of small changes in the book of mormon may be helpful and interesting. As always, inspired direction came from the scriptures publication committee of the quorum of the twelve. The introduction to the book of mormon was not a part of the original plates. Types of changes in the book of mormon text the following statistics are derived from my computerized collation of the two manuscripts of the book of mormon the original and the printers manuscripts and 20 standard page 173editions of the book of mormon fifteen lds editions, from 1830 to 1981, the 1858 wright edition, and four rlds. Book of mormon charts charting the book of mormon is a collection of more than 175 visual aids that promote deeper understanding and appreciation of the book of mormon. Despite the fact that the church today has explicitly renounced some of the positions found in the guide such as that homosexuality is a learned. Book of mormon 1981 salt lake city edition internet archive. It introduces the book of mormon to the modern reader by providing background information and a description of the book.

Book of mormon student manual religion 121122 1981. An analysis of selected changes in major editions of the. And he said unto me, behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of. Understanding textual changes in the book of mormon. The change is not a modification of josephs translation, but restores omitted text which joseph translated.

Chapters in the 1830 edition were longer, in part because the book of mormon was printed in narrative rather than verse formwhat we would expect from a. On december 12, 2017, mormon leaks released a 1981 guide for local lds priesthood leaders on how to address homosexuality among members of the church. This type of error is common in publishing, and some translators and scribes of the bible have made similar errors. The book of mormon, the pearl of great price, and the doctrine and covenants are accepted as scripture without any qualifications whatsoever. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints released this week the most significant changes to its scripture since 1981. Alterable decrees the evolving doctrines of the church necessitated. The change in the 1981 edition seems to be an attempt to bring the book of mormon up to speed with the 1978 revelation that allowed black members of the church to hold the priesthood. Smith is full of bluff and bluster, and is a fraud.

There are rooms yet to be entered, with flaming fireplaces waiting to warm usyet we as church members sometimes behave like hurried tourists, scarcely venturing beyond the entry hall. Book of mormon word change christian research institute. According to this revelation given through joseph smith, in april of 1830, god gave him joseph smith power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the book of mormon doctrine and covenants 20. Yesterday while reading some interesting news stories on byus online newspaper, i came across an article they posted a few years back about changes made to the introduction in the book of mormon their article reminded me once again of the arbitrary nature of the church when it comes to the validity of joseph smiths claims on anything from his first vision to why. Book of mormon editions 18301981 book of mormon central. This oct 1981 ensign article published about the new edition to the book of mormon says. Doctrinal changes godhead changes were made to the book of mormon after joseph smith changed his doctrine from monotheism. However, there are numerous other changes which affect the doctrinal teachings of the book of mormon. Missing completely in this discussion are the challenges transgender mormons face in the church.

Rather than go into full detail, ill list each of the editions, then mention the ones that may be pertinent to your copy. Editions 18301981 the book of mormon critical text. Maxwell said, is like a vast mansion with gardens, towers, courtyards, and wings. Church removes racial references in book of mormon headings. Royal skousen, a professor of linguistics at byu and a recognized expert of the textual history of the book of mormon, has identified 5,280 variations in all editions of the book of mormon. Now available for preorder the book of mormon, elder neal a. Few mormons are aware of the thousands of word changes and nature of the changes that have been made in the book of mormon, doctrine and covenants, and the pearl of great price since the first editions. Jun 11, 2009 the onepage introduction to the book of mormon, which gives a brief overview of its contents, was added in 1981 when the lds church released a revised text of the book of mormon. The introduction was written by mormon apostle brucer. The description and details of the 1981 format of the salt lake edition of the book of mormon. Mcconkie, at the time considered to be one of the churchs most prominent theologians. Book of mormon changes the fall of mormonism rich kelsey.